Tool for closing and opening containers



Nov. 16, 1954 H. 0. Law; 2,6 4 3 TOOL FOR CLOSING AND OPENING CONTAINERS Filed April 3, 1952 I" a"; NVENTOR, llama d [ea/11s K/rw A/a/ni/ arrow/75 the open end to which the closure is applied. the closure in place the metal clip is bent downwardly United States Patent" TOOL FOR CLOSING AND OPENING CONTAINERS 1 Herman 0. Lewis, East St.-Louis, Mo., assignor to The Greif Bros. Cooperage Corporation, Delaware, Ohio, a

corporation of Ohio Application April 3, .1952, Serial No. 280,338

1 Claim. (Cl. s1--1s tainers used in shipping and storing bulk materials are supplied to the producer or packer of the bulk materials with the heads removed or only temporarily assembled -with the drums. After the drums are packed the heads are then assembled therewith and secured in place. One

, type of fastening means employed for securing the heads .in. place consists of a metal clip secured to the outer surface of the container and projecting outwardly over In securing over the peripheral edge of the closure. When it is desired to remove the closure, the clip must be bent upwardly or restored to its original position.

It is a prime object of the present invention to provide an improved tool which may be utilized to bend or fold the clips over the peripheral edges of the closures when they are assembled with the drums and also to restore the clips to substantially their original condition when it is desired to open the containers.

In containers of this type it is important that the tool be simple, speedy and convenient in operation so that the packing can be accomplished by relatively unskilled operators at a minimum of expense.

It is, accordingly, a further object of the present invention to provide an improved tool of the above character which is relatively simple and inexpensive in. construction, which is simple and speedy in operation and which can be operated by relatively unskilled employees.

In the accompanying drawing Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a tool embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is an elevational view at right angles to Fig. l but showing the hook in full view;

Fig. 3 is a partially sectional view of the operating portions of the tool and the upper portion of the container illustrating the initial step in the operation of the tool in securing the cover in place;

Figs. 4 and 5 are similar views showing further steps in the operation of the tool in closing the container;

Fig. 6 is an elevational view in the direction of the arrows on the line 66 of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 7 is a partially sectional view of the operating portions of the tool and the upper portion of the container showing the manner in which the tool is used in opening the container.

My improved tool is made of a suitable strong material, preferably metal, such as steel. It comprises a handle portion 10 which may have a knurled gripping area 11, a head 12 and a link or hook 13 pivotally secured to the outer end of the head 12. The link is divided or bifurcated at its inner end as indicated at 14- so as to straddle the head of the tool and a suitable pin 15 extends through the bifurcated end and the head of the tool to provide the pivotal connection.

The arrangement of the pivotal connection should be such that the link or hook has a fairly wide range of pivotal movement. Thus, it should be able to pivot at least from the position shown in Fig. 3 to and beyond the position shown in Fig. 5. The outer end of the link is likewise bifurcated and the bifurcated outer end portion is formed into a pair of hooks as shown at 16.

The head of the tool immediately adjacent the pivotal connection 15 is formed with a notch or recess 36 presenting a cam surface which is utilized for bending or camming the metal clip downwardly in securing the cover in place. The face of the head of the tool opposite notch 16 is formed with another notch 17 having an angularly disposed outwardly flared surface 18 on one side and having a relatively straight surface terminating in a shoulder or bead 19. The notch 17 is utilized in restoring the clip to its original position when it is desired to open the cover. The outer surface of the head adjacent the notch 17 is rounded as indicated at 20 forming a rocking surface around which the tool may be rotated in opening the container.

I have previously indicated the type of containerwith which my tool may be used. In Figs. 3 through 7 I have indicated the upper portion of such a container. The container comprises a tubular container 21 made from convolutely wound layers of fibrous. material such as kraft board. The tubular container body is open at one end and fitted with a suitable cover or closure such as the metal cover indicated generally at 22. The cover has a channel portion 23 which embraces the upperv end of the wall of the container and adepending flange or apron 24 embracing-the upper end of the body of thecontainer when the cover is assembled therewith- The apron terminates in a beaded edging 25.

Spaced around the upper end of the body of the container are .a plurality of fasteningclips 26 which may be engaged with the cover. to secure it in place. The fastening clips are each formed with an attaching portion 27 having projecting prongs 28 which may be engaged with the fibrous body of the container to secure the clip in place. The clip is made of resilient material and projecting upwardly and outwardly from the upper end of the attaching portion is a fastening portion 29 which is normally spaced outwardly from the end of the container as shown in Fig. 3 but may be pressed inwardly into contact therewith as shown in Fig. 4. Extending transversely across the fastening portion 29 is a rib 30 positioned to accommodate the beaded lower edge of the.

cover when the clip is pressed into contact therewith. The upper end of the fastening portion is provided with an inturned retaining flange 31 disposed substantially at right angles to the body of the fastening portion. When the clip is in open position the retaining flange is spaced outwardly from the body of the container so as not to interfere with the assembly of the cover therewith. It is disposed at a height to overlap the peripheral edge of the cover when the clip is pressed inwardly into contact therewith as shown in Fig. 4.

Prior to closing the containers the clips are arranged as shown in Fig. 3. The cover may thus be applied to the containers without interference from the clips. When it is desired to secure the cover in place the clip is pressed inwardly into contact with the body of the container and the flange of the head as shown in Fig. 4 and thereafter the retaining flange is bent downwardly over the peripheral portion of the head as shown in Fig. 5.

To open the container the retaining flange of the clip is bent upwardly so as to permit the clip to shift outwardly and return to the position shown in Fig. 3.

My improved tool may be utilized to secure and release the clips in a simple and expeditious manner. In using the tool in securing the clips I first apply the cover as shown in Fig. 3. The hooked ends of link 13 are then arranged to straddle the clip and to engage the beaded lower edge of the flange of the cover as shown in Fig. 3. In this position the recess or notch 36 faces towards the peripheral edge of the cover. The operator then pulls upwardly and inwardly on the tool causing the clip to contact the outer surface of the container and the flange of the head as shown in Fig. 4 with the retaining flange 31 overlapping the edge of the cover. The operator then pivots the handle of the tool downwardly as shown in Fig. 5 with the result that the recess 36 embraces the channel shaped peripheral edge of the closure bending the retaining flange 31 around the channel shaped edge in the manner shown in Fig. 5 to hold the cover in place.

To open the container the recess or notch 17 is placed over the retaining flange 31 of the clip and the channel shaped edge 23 of the cover with the shoulder or lip 19 in engagement with the free end of the retaining flange in the manner shown in full lines in Fig. 7. Thereafter,

the handle of the tool is lifted upwardly so that the tool rocks about the rocking surface 20 at the head of the tool to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 7, lifting the free end of the retaining flange upwardly and freeing it from inter-engagement with the cover. This will usually be suflicient to open the clip and permit it to spring outwardly to the position shown in Fig. 3. However, if desired, the handle of the tool may subsequently be pulled downwardly so as to draw the retaining flange outwardly.

The operation of my tool in securing the clip in place may consist of a quick unitary movement in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Figs. 3, 4, and 5. An experienced operator can engage the hooked end 16 with the bead of the cover and pivot the tool in a single sweeping movement with no loss of time or waste motion. Similarly, the releasing of the clip may consist of a single movement in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 7.

It will thus be seen that I have provided an improved tool to be used in securing and releasing the heads of containers such as fibre containers. It will be appreciated that the tool is of relatively inexpensive construction, is simple and expeditious in operation and can be used by relatively inexperienced operators. Modifications may of course be made in the illustrated and described embodiment of my invention without departing from my invention as set forth in the accompanying claim.

I claim:

A tool to be used for securing a clip over a container closure having a depending beaded flange for the purpose of holding the closure in place comprising an elongated rigid handle member formed with a grip portion adjacent one end and a head portion adjacent the other end and a rigid link member pivotally connected adjacent one end to the outer end of the head portion so as to be shiftable through an are extending at least from a point Where the link projects straight outwardly from the end of the handle member to a point where the link projects at right angles from the handle member, said link being formed with a hook for engaging the beaded flange of the container closure at the free end of the link and facing in the direction in which the link pivots, said hook being bifurcated with the two portions thereof being spaced sufficiently apart to permit the hook to straddle the clip and said head portion being formed with a notch projecting inwardly on the side of the handle towards which the hook faces at a point between the grip portion and the pivotal connection of the link, the edges of the notch being rounded to present cam surfaces.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 275,588 Church Apr. 10, 1883 1,067,847 Slaback et a1 July 22, 1913 1,299,974 Lorenz et al. Apr. 8, 1919 1,435,853 Johnson Nov. 14, 1922 1,528,415 Fuller Mar. 3, 1925 1,643,612 Seifert Sept. 27, 1927 1,747,440 Hulbert Feb. 18, 1930 1,809,386 Mason June 9, 1931 2,036,140 Hansen Mar. 13, 1936 2,548,697 Belpedio et a1 Apr. 10, 1951 

